Belgium’s Bambara Bean Exports Showed Impressive Growth in 2014

Belgium took the second spot in the global bambara bean trade. In 2014, Belgium exported 488 tonnes of bambara beans totaling 689 thousand USD, a resounding 97% over the previous year. Its primary trading partner was France, where it supplied 99% of its total bambara bean exports in value terms, accounting for 99% of France's total imports.

From 2012 to 2014, Belgium was a net exporter of bambara beans. Over this period, exports consistently exceeded imports in value terms. However, in physical terms, exports and imports were equal.

The Netherlands and South Africa were among the other main global suppliers of bambara beans in 2014. However, the fastest growing exporters from 2012 to 2014 were Germany (+126% per year) and Thailand (+84% per year). Still, it was Belgium that significantly strengthened its position in the global export structure.

In 2014, Belgium had only two trading partners: France and Germany. The share of France increased significantly (+36 percentage points), while the share of Germany illustrated negative dynamics (-32 percentage points).